A reoccurring topic of discussion for me both in my academics and in real world conversations is the nature, uses, and hoarding of this concept we call Power. Power, as defined by Peter Northouse, “is the capacity or potential to influence” (2016, p. 12). In my previous blogs, I have made the point that because of this definition, power is an abstract concept which by itself holds almost no value, but depending on whom the wielder of this power is trying to influence, then the value changes. For a more comprehensive overview on my points, please read the previous posts which can be found here: https://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2016/03/21/power-bases-not-a-fallacy-but-merely-misunderstood/
Assuming that the value of power changes based on the assessment of the person to be influenced, how then can a leader help build, create, or increase in value the power bases that they possess? To understand we must first discuss the relationships between the 5 power bases.
(Gaurav, 2011)
A potential pitfall that my befall leaders is the idea that the Coercive and Reward power bases are the most simple power bases to increase, since they are opposite sides of the same coin; one the ability to punish, the other to reward. These two bases are also sometimes assumed to be closely tied to Legitimate Power, which is why Abraham Zaleznik, in his early research only recognized three power bases; Expert, Legitimate, and Referent (Zaleznik, 1970). This however is not always the case. All too often in the ever increasingly flat organizational landscapes of global corporations do people have the formal dictated authority assigned to the legitimate power base. Often, team leaders must find ways to reward their teams or punish deviant behavior without formal authority such as reducing workload (as a reward) or forcing the member into the “out-group” within the team (as punishment) within their teams. However, this must be done with tact since within global organizations, team leaders change frequently and the roles may be reversed on the next project.
So, what can leaders do, specifically, to increase the value of their power in the eyes of their followers? Potential solutions number far too many for the scope of this post, but the key to remember is that it would be very hard to increase more than one power base at a time. Additionally, since each follower would value your power bases differently, we would measure the average value throughout the leaders influence. This of course would cause progress to be measured in very small increments over a long period of time. First, let us assume that an increase in expert power can be increased by more knowledge. However, the value of this base comes from the strength of the referent power base. You can be the smartest individual in the room, but if no one respects you, that power base is useless. For a specific thing for leaders to apply to build power, I submit that situational leadership, Leader-Member Exchange Theory, and the skills approach to leadership all would result in an overall increase of power that is freely given by followers.
To be fair, this all can be summarized as support for the practical and theoretical aspects of Authentic leadership, or Bona-fide leadership that people can trust (Northouse, 2016). If your followers feel that you care about them, and demonstrate an ability to take care of them, they will more readily abdicate power to the leader. How do you become an authentic leader? I don’t know the answer, but it is certainly an interesting question to consider.
References:
Gaurav, A. (2011). Five Bases of Power by John French and Betram H. Raven. [Blog]. Retrieved from http://kalyan-city.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/five-bases-of-power-by-john-french-and.html
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (7th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications
Zaleznik, A. (1970). Power and Politics in Organizational Life. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1970/05/power-and-politics-in-organizational-life